The background of the stage switched with the theme of the song. /CMG
Presented by China Media Group (CMG), the annual gala, also known as Qiuwan in Chinese, began at 8 p.m. Beijing Time on September 10 and lasted two hours, accompanying Chinese worldwide to spend a captivating, heartwarming and romantic Mid-Autumn Festival.
With nearly 30 heartfelt programs, the gala presented a high-quality cultural feast, highlighting the beauty of China in a magnificent context for a global audience.
The first "Mid-Autumn Festival in space"
Shenzhou-14 taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe spent their first ever "Mid-Autumn Festival in Space" on China's space station. The three taikonauts recorded an exclusive video for the gala, sending their Mid-Autumn wishes and a "lucky star" to the Chinese people worldwide.
An interaction between space and Earth presented during the gala.
To further link those celebrating in space to those on Earth, a "star" in taikonaut Liu Yang's hand "flew" to the hands of the guest performer Li Yuchun onstage at the gala with the help of special effects technology, creating a visual link between those near and far.
Technology unlocks traditional culture
This year's CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala focused on highlighting the fusion of "ideas + art + technology," taking landscape scenery as the backdrop and creative material and deeply exploring the history, culture, traditional folklore and culture of Zhangjiagang in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, where the main venue was.
A stage effect depicting a Jiangnan waterfront town. /CMG
In terms of innovative design, the gala brought a surprise presentation through location shooting and virtual production, incorporating scenes rich with the heritage of Jiangnan, an area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
A supermoon stage effect is shown during the performance. /CMG
A 360-degree panoramic stage with a circle within a circle and three circles embedded in each other was constructed on the lake surface of Jiyang Lake, incorporating elements of Suzhou's gardens and Jiangnan's waterfront towns.
A collection of some of the screens broadcasting China Media Group's (CMG) Mid-Autumn Festival at various landmarks in China: the municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Liaoning. /CMG
This year, for the first time, the Autumn Gala of China National Radio also adopts 8K ultra-high definition technology and three-dimensional Audio Vivid technology for production and broadcast. Also, for the first time, the show was broadcast live on ultra-high definition public screens in more than 270 outdoor landmark screens in 70 cities nationwide.
Celebrating the festive reunion with Chinese worldwide
Watching the CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala with family members has become a "new folk custom" for Chinese worldwide.
This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala was broadcast via overseas media, such as Sinovision, KTSF Channel 26, Charming China IPTV in Canada, NICONICO, China Arab TV and Switch TV in Kenya.